Page 44 of Whiskers and Wiles

“My brother, Lord Anthony Headland arrived in the early hours this morning,” Lady Walsingham then informed them, taking her brother’s hand and smiling at him with sisterly affection. “It was quite the surprise, to be honest. We were not expecting him at all. Poor Anthony was recently widowered, yousee, and when last we spoke, he told me he was determined to spend the season in London.”

“Is that so?” Waldorf asked. Suspicion that ran deeper than his dislike of the man welled up within him. Kat seemed to feel it too, as she tensed by his side.

“I…found myself suddenly missing my sister,” Headland said, his excuse flimsy.

Lady Walsingham apparently did not see it. “You are too sweet, Anthony.” She glanced to Waldorf and Kat and said, “He rode all the way here, not stopping, and not even taking a carriage. If that is not devotion, I do not know what is.”

The true story formed in Waldorf’s mind immediately. It was far more likely that Headland was as dogged now in his pursuit of Kat as he had been twenty years ago, and that the moment he’d discovered Kat had departed for East Anglia with Waldorf, he’d set out in pursuit.

Kat’s upset took on a whole new feeling, and Waldorf subtly tightened the way he held her arm. He might have been blazing with anger at her, he might believe her to be a selfish fool who had destroyed everything he’d worked years for, but he would protect her from the man she clearly did not want.

“This is all incidental,” Lady Walsingham said with a sweeping gesture. “We are awaiting you in the topiary garden for the initiation. Come.”

Waldorf glanced to Kat with wide eyes and an expression that said they had more problems in front of them than they’d accounted for.

“Will you be joining us?” he asked Walsingham as they started after Lady Walsingham.

“I had thought?—”

“If you do not wish to bother the engaged couples,” Headland interrupted, speaking the word ‘engaged’ as if he did not believeWaldorf and Kat to actually be engaged for a moment, “then perhaps the two of us could go in search of luncheon together.”

“Luncheon has been provided in the topiary garden, Anthony, dear,” Lady Walsingham called over her shoulder. “You are welcome to join us in dear Caroline’s memory.”

That seemed to decide that, though Headland did not look pleased with the prospect of being a part of an activity made up entirely of couples.

As soon as they reached the topiary garden, Waldorf decided he did not want to be party to an activity of couples as well. Roughly a dozen couples sat paired together in a circle, enjoying their meal. Rather than sitting at a table and eating with cutlery in a reasonable manner, however, the entire company was seated on small carpets and cushions. Each couple faced each other over a large platter, which contained what appeared to be a selection of fruits, cheeses, and meats. Instead of consuming the meal in the ordinary fashion, each partner in the couple was engaged in feeding the other by hand while gazing into their eyes.

“What circle of Hell is this?” Kat murmured to Waldorf, her eyes wide as she took in the scene.

Waldorf snorted with laughter before he could stop himself.

Fortunately for him and for Kat, Lady Walsingham did not hear them.

“My dear, loving brothers and sisters,” Lady Walsingham said, walking into the center of the circle, then turning as if addressing each couple personally. “As I mentioned last night, we have new additions to our retreat of love and togetherness. Lord Waldorf Godwin and Lady Katherine Balmor, who are recently engaged, have been sent to commune with us on the expressed recommendation of Queen Matilda of Mercia herself.”

Waldorf fought the urge to wince. Saying too much about how and why they were there came dangerously close torevealing their new mission and the cause they were fighting for. In present company, he was loath to reveal anything like that.

Present company included more than Headland as well, though he was chief among the people Waldorf did not want to know his business. He knew a few of the gentlemen from the other couples. Lord Keith and Lady Helen Wallington of Wessex were there, for one. Lord Keith was a close friend of Prince Cuthbert and believed Waldorf to be loyal to King Swithin. Lord and Lady Postern of Northumbria were there as well. Postern was brother to the King of Northumbria. Mr. and Mrs. Norris from London were among the guests as well. Norris was a prominent London merchant with a great deal of sway in Joint Parliament, since so many ministers did business with him.

Any one of them would likely react the same way MacLeod had at the card table if they discovered Waldorf and Kat were spies in their midst.

“Hello,” Kat greeted the other guests with a small curtsy, pretending to be far sweeter and shier than Waldorf knew her to be. “It is a pleasure to be here with you.”

“Yes, it will be a pleasure,” Lady Walsingham said with a bright smile.

Waldorf nearly choked on his tongue, remembering the sounds that had come from the other side of the wall.

“Now, if you will come forward and stand here, please,” Lady Walsingham went on, “we shall begin the Initiation of Trust.”

Waldorf’s stomach churned. He glanced to Kat, communicating once again that they were in over their head. They couldn’t back out and walk away, however. The only thing they could do was step forward and take the place in the center of the circle that Lady Walsingham indicated to them.

“Now,” Lady Walsingham said, looking delighted with the proceedings, “as we all know, the cornerstone of any successfulmarriage is trust. A husband and wife must trust each other implicitly, in all that they do or say.”

Waldorf’s brow went up. He actually agreed with that. Was it not a lack of trust that had run the ship of his and Kat’s previous relationship aground?

“Therefore,” Lady Walsingham went on, “you will turn and face each other, and you will each tell the other some deep secret that you have never revealed to another soul before. The rest of us will bear witness.”

Waldorf wanted to groan as he turned to face Kat. Kat’s face had pulled into an expression of absolute incredulity. Waldorf could practically hear her thinking, “You wish us to reveal secrets to a gathering of guests whom we might see again in our lives in London?” Beyond that, her eyes darted to Headland, who had taken up a position off to the side, arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

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